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Are you an entrepreneur who wants to grow your business, but not sure what to do, where to look, or who to ask?  Let Top Gun guide you. Our unique system blends cutting-edge curriculum with the opportunities and connections you need to be successful.  There’s no other program like it in Maine.  This is the only program that opens doors for entrepreneurs by combining weekly curriculum with a mentor network and spectacular showcase.  The Top Gun Bangor Region Class is hosted by the University of Maine in partnership with Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development.

 

What’s in it for you?

• Mentors who provide guidance and answer questions 

• Engagement with successful entrepreneurs who will share their successes, failures, and lessons learned

• Interactions with others facing similar challenges as you

• Guidance, practice, and feedback on your business pitches

A chance to deliver your pitch or showcase your business to an audience of over 300 potential investors, business leaders, and journalists, and maybe even walk away with the $25k prize!

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• Previous participants have included technology companies (such as apps, cleantech and specialty materials), innovative food companies (such as mass market mead, artisanal chocolate and spelt bagels), as well as service companies with a unique twist. What they all have in common are high aspirations to achieve growth through innovation.

• Of the 117 companies that have been through Top Gun since 2009, 40% were already generating revenue, at an annual rate of up to $1 million. Most of the rest were in product and business model development, with a handful still in research or in the product and business model definition stage.

 

Five Locations & Schedule

Delivered in Bangor, Waterville, Lewiston/Auburn, Brunswick and Portland, this exclusive four-month program starts in February and culminates in May with an exciting evening of business pitches and a product showcase. 

 

Is Top Gun right for you?

Regardless of experience or age, if you have an innovative business idea, Top Gun can help. What binds everyone together is a high aspiration to achieve growth, whether it’s through steady growth and bootstrapping or rapid acceleration and venture capital.

 

The cost for Top Gun is $500 per team.

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